Student Senate – there’s an app for that

By Beth Knapinski on December 6, 2013

In an attempt to reach more constituents, Student Senate will release a campuswide app early next semester.

Freshman and Vice President of Technology Services and Affairs Mitchell Pericak, along with freshman electrical engineering major Nicholas Clark, created the app following Student Body President Zack Shaw’s request to come up with an idea to increase Student Senate’s outreach.

“The executive board had been talking about reaching out to more constituents in whatever way possible,” Shaw said. “However, we were unaware of the great knowledge Mitchell had and the lengths he would go to help us improve upon our community outreach.”

The app, which Pericak said he hopes to have available on app stores such as iTunes, will allow students to submit and track their suggestions, complaints and concerns. After a student submits one through the app, it will go to a Google Drive set up for Student Senate vice presidents.

The vice presidents will then indicate that they saw the submission and indicate, through a percentage based marking, how they have followed up with the submission.

For example, if a student complains about the lack of gluten free options at Geisert Cafeteria, not only will the vice president for campus affairs indicate that she saw the complaint, but as that information is passed along to dining services, such updates will be indicated next to the submission on the app.

“People always wonder what Senate is doing,” Pericak said. “With the app, students will be able to see exactly what Senate is doing and how their suggestions are carried on.”

Pericak and Clark said the app will help vice presidents as well because submissions will all be in the same format.

“The information [on the app’s form] will all be in the same place, which makes it more consistent and easier for the vice presidents,” Clark said.

Aside from allowing students to submit suggestions, complaints and concerns, the Student Senate app will also feature campus maps, event notifications and links to other websites.

The app’s name is still in the works and won’t be announced until it is released early next semester.

The creation of the campuswide app follows the creation of another Student Senate app earlier this semester specifically for Student Senate members. The purpose of that app is for senators to submit their weekly constituency hour reports to the various Student Senate departments.